Noble Isle’s Guide to the UK: The Chester Hotel, Aberdeen
Can you tell us the story behind The Chester Hotel?
Luxury is what we do best. Since we opened in 2014, it has been our mission to provide visitors to Aberdeen with something different; somewhere they can indulge their fantasies and live like VIPs.
We have 50 spacious bedrooms and suites – including the truly decadent Chester Suite, with its own in-room bar – which are the epitome of chic accommodation. Rainfall showers, Egyptian cotton sheets and, of course, Noble Isle toiletries in every room – we provide our guests with everything they need to truly get away from it all. (There’s even a gym for health fanatics who can’t switch off).
Our stylish IX Restaurant specialises in exquisite fine dining, unlike anywhere else in Aberdeen – and for special occasions our private dining rooms are the perfect secluded spots to raise a glass or two of champagne in celebration. Our IX Bar creates delicious cocktails and you’ll also find an extensive collection of craft gins, including some incredible local brands.
In November you are holding the food festival, Signature. What can you tell us about the event?
Signature, Scotland’s only festival of fine dining, returns to The Chester Hotel for the second time, from 4-16 November.
We’ll be welcoming some of the country’s best chefs – who between them have four Michelin stars – to whip up some gastronomic delights for foodies. Many of the guests will be local, while others are travelling to the area and combining their experience with a stay at the hotel.
Celeb chefs including Atul Kochhar, Glynn Purnell, Martin Wishart, Brian Grigor, Mark Greenaway and Roy Brett will team up with our own talented chefs to create unique menus for diners throughout the festival. Master chocolatier William Curley will also create some delectable sweet treats for a special afternoon tea, which will feature a performance from soul legend Beverley Knight.
Throughout Signature, we’ll also be raising funds for Friends of the Special Nursery in Aberdeen Maternity Hospital’s Neo-Natal Unit.
Are there any local delicacies we should try?
We’re incredibly lucky here in Aberdeen to have some world-class food producers. All the meat in our two AA Rosette IX Restaurant – including delicious Aberdeen Angus beef – is sourced from local butchers Campbells Prime Meats and Grace Noble Banchory Highland Cattle.
The region is also home to some very tempting tipples. Brewdog is perhaps the area’s most famous alcoholic export, but we also have amazing whisky producers like Glen Garioch and Royal Lochnagar, craft gins like Porter’s and House of Elrick, and even Scotland’s first rum distillery – Dark Matter.
What is your favourite thing to do in Aberdeen at the weekend?
It may sound like a cliché, but there really is something for everyone in Aberdeen. For starters, there are over 50 golf courses within a short drive of the city, from world-renowned championship courses to unique links courses..
Aberdeen also has a vibrant arts and entertainment scene, which often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. There are a series of art and music festivals in the city throughout the year, and there are always interesting exhibitions and shows taking place every weekend.
History buffs, too, have much to celebrate in the area with dozens of historic castle and museums to visit. Our recommendation would be Dunnottar Castle in nearby Stonehaven: an imposing ruin perched atop a rocky cliff face, overlooking the North Sea which has appeared in several Hollywood movies.
After a busy weekend seeing the sights, though, there’s only one way we’d choose to relax: with a signature cocktail in our IX Lounge.
What is your favourite Noble Isle fragrance?
It’s so difficult to choose just one – we have a whole range of them in The Chester Hotel for different occasions! Willow Song and Rhubarb Rhubarb are favourites with our guests, but if we were pushed to pick just one it would have to be Whisky & Water. We are Scottish, after all…
